Tips and Tricks: Mounds of family photos?

Mounds of family photos?

December 22

Quote of the Month

“A photographer is like a cod, which produces a million eggs in order that one may reach maturity.”

-George Bernard Shaw

There are so many beautiful quotes about photographs…. but the quote above will hopefully guide you in reducing the volume of photographs in your life (if they are a source of stress to you). Sentimentalists — Read on!

ATTENTION BALTIMORE 50+ ADULTS

Are you ready to muster the courage to get rid of the stuff you don’t need? Join me at the Myerberg Senior Center for Let My Clutter Go, a 16 week class beginning January 2nd. Together, we’ll laugh at the lengths we go to avoid getting organized. And while the fun is happening, each participant will be inspired to get busy as soon as they return home each week to carry out “bite sized” decluttering homework. Click here for more information. The class is on page 18. I’d love to see you there.

GOT PHOTOS??

One of the most common questions I get is “How does one deal with boxes and boxes of photos from years past and the ‘hand me down’ photos from deceased family members?” It is a daunting and overwhelming task and sadly, these boxes get moved from house to house and/or get damaged from either time, mold or basement flooding.

In the spirit of the holiday season, here are a few ideas to help you decrease the volume:

If you’re seeing family this holiday (or anytime), bring out the boxes and let everyone take what they like. No organizing necessary- just provide take-home bags for them to stuff with photos!
Set up some hanging file folders (with labels) in a crate or file drawer and start dropping photos in by decade or, if you are creating categories to give to specific people, your folders can be labeled with various people’s names.
As you sort, toss duplicates, blurry ones, scenery, unflattering pictures of yourself (!) and any people who you don’t remember. (The duplicates do come in handy if you’re sorting by person). And in case you’re wondering, most photos are NOT considered ok to recycle due to chemicals in the paper.
If you have a ton of photo albums, consider selecting the pictures that stand out as representations of an event. You’ll be amazed at how many photos there are of the same people in the same poses!
IF you have any photos that are sticking to the adhesive on old photo album pages, try using dental floss and gently sliding it behind the picture to minimize damage.

Scanning is a great option – and we can talk about that another time – but it would be a shame to pay for scanning of pictures that you didn’t really need or care about. This pre-sort can save you money and it can be less intimidating when trying to ‘gift’ the family photos to future generations.

Happy photo organizing!

Clocks and Watches

Antique clocks and watches are quite desirable….it may not even matter if they’re working. Contact Howard to discuss your old clocks or watches or any other items you have that may be of value.

“Helping Baby Boomers and their Parents Lighten their Loads”

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of stuff in your home, contact me. Together, we can transform your home into a happy, tidy place where you can feel at peace. We can also get you ready for your next move… more enjoyably, faster and easier. We specialize in senior moves and helping families find new homes for the things they no longer have room to keep. We can also take care of clearing out homes that need to be listed quickly for resale. Contact me to schedule an appointment.